The organizers of IBTM World 2024 report that the show saw a year-over-year growth of 10 percent in attendance, an 18 percent increase in hosted buyers, and a 19 percent growth in the number of pre-scheduled business meetings.

Held November 19-21 at Fira Barcelona in Spain, the show welcomed 2,350 exhibitors from around the world and hosted buyers from more than 120 countries. It also facilitate over 73,000 pre-scheduled business meetings as well as business exchanges taking place on the show floor.

“This is our first year exhibiting at IBTM World as part of our strategy to grow our business pipeline for 2025 when we become part of the Vignette Collection from IHG Hotels & Resorts. With 56 meeting rooms and over 7,000sqm of meeting space, the business events market is crucial for our business,” said Sue Baimbridge, Chief Commercial Officer, RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka. “The quality of buyers and volume of meetings over the past three days at IBTM has been brilliant. I’m returning to Osaka with eight solid leads and another five or six business leads to follow up on in the next few weeks. The meeting booking system and support I’ve received from the IBTM team have been excellent and I’m looking forward to returning next year!”

Other highlights of the show were:

• Three impactful keynote addresses:  Five-time British Paralympic athlete, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, opened the Main Stage on day one with an inspiring conversation about the limitless possibilities that emerge when people are empowered, team spirit is nurtured, and inclusivity is championed. Human connection specialist Simone Heng took to the floor on day two with an discussion about the importance of forging meaningful relationships across divides as humans move deeper into the age of artificial intelligence. On the final day, Julius Solaris, founder of Boldpush, was joined by Goc O’Callaghan, global experience lead at Buro Happold, and Louise O’Connor, managing director at Seen Presents Ltd, to take a deep dive into how the events industry can create experiences that feel human in an increasingly tech-dominated world.
• Exceptional Experiences, a new program specifically designed to support in-house event professionals and marketers create experiences that fuel business growth, and which welcomed speakers from industry giants such as Amazon, Tik Tok and Canva.
• The Hotel Pavilion, a dedicated space for independent and small group hotels to showcase their offer, made its debut.
• Forum for Advocacy, an initiative bringing together senior leaders, politicians, policymakers, industry associations and academics to amplify the existing conversation around advocacy issues. With a focus on communicating the economic and social impact of global business events, the forum debated, amongst much else, how business events can counterbalance the challenges of over-tourism and climate change by contributing positively to local communities. The group also discussed the importance of lobbying beyond the Minister for Tourism so that all government departments understand the impact of the business events industry on job creation, education and innovation.
• Release of the IBTM World Trends Report authored by Alistair Turner, managing director of Eight PR & Marketing, which underlined the importance of talent to the future of the industry and emphasized the emergence of a new type of event professional that has evolved to meet the changing dynamics of the sector.
• The Business of Events, a leading global think tank for the events sector, launched its annual Global Destination Report at the show. Highlights for 2024 include a promising trend in budget stability in developed regions, as well as an ongoing call for alignment between the business events sector and government policy, including the need for increased advocacy and direct financial support. The report shed light on persistent disparities in economic benefit across regions, and drew attention to staffing concerns that could hinder the sector’s ability to meet demand and achieve long-term growth.
• Delivering a smart show: Ahead of the show, exhibitors were able to utilize Lead Booster, a targeted tool designed to enable exhibitors to attract more of the right leads through the promotion of exclusive offers. This was strengthened by the Lead Manager App, empowering exhibitors to capture, review and qualify leads in real time. At the show, Colleqt QR allowed attendees to capture information about exhibitors, sponsors and products without the need for brochure-laden bags. With the simple scan of a QR code, visitors received all the information they needed straight to their phones, and exhibitors received the contact details of any visitors who requested more information to ensure no leads were missed.

“It’s been an absolutely thrilling three days, not least because we were celebrating a very special 20th anniversary in Barcelona, which only enhanced the feeling of camaraderie and togetherness,” said Claudia Hall, exhibition director, IBTM World. “As they do every year, our wonderful IBTM World community arrived with a thirst for knowledge, a hunger for opportunities, and an enthusiasm to make connections that will take the global events industry from strength to strength.

“Our show didn’t disappoint. Between the phenomenal speakers with their captivating insights and ideas, our passionate exhibitors eager to engage, and the imaginative new initiatives designed to provide targeted and tangible support, it’s been an incredible gathering that reminds me just what a community we are in the events industry and how much we have to offer the world as a sector.”